


Hobbies

by MrMundy



Category: Elder Scrolls Online
Genre: Almost Kiss, Elder Scrolls Online: Greymoor, Greymoor Spoilers!, M/M, dumb gays who dont know how to act around each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:41:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24581716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrMundy/pseuds/MrMundy
Summary: He brings Fennorian different alchemical reagents just to see his face light up. There's something uniquely charming about the way his eyes widen as he takes the wooden boxes and leather satchels of plants and bones and animal parts, the way Laurent can see the strange red and pink in his eyes as he looks through individual pieces of rare flowers. Every time, Fennorian looks at him with a wide grin and thanks him, his pointed teeth peeking out from his lips before his expression turns self-conscious and he covers his mouth or turns away, beginning to ramble on about the properties of whatever it was he'd been gifted with.
Relationships: Fennorian (Elder Scrolls Online)/Original Male Character
Comments: 2
Kudos: 54





	Hobbies

**Author's Note:**

> Laurent Roseaux is my breton boy who I ship w/ Fenn! Here's his tag, for anyone curious.
> 
> https://tellydryn.tumblr.com/tagged/laurent
> 
> !! MIND THE GREYMOOR SPOILERS IN THIS, IF YOU HAVE NOT YET PLAYED IT!!

He brings Fennorian different alchemical reagents just to see his face light up. There's something uniquely charming about the way his eyes widen as he takes the wooden boxes and leather satchels of plants and bones and animal parts, the way Laurent can see the strange red and pink in his eyes as he looks through individual pieces of rare flowers. Every time, Fennorian looks at him with a wide grin and thanks him, his pointed teeth peeking out from his lips before his expression turns self-conscious and he covers his mouth or turns away, beginning to ramble on about the properties of whatever it was he'd been gifted with.

Laurent finds himself determined to pull that smile onto his face more often. They both are constantly busy - between helping Jarl Svana and staying on the lookout for where the Harrowstorms appear, times where they can focus on personal projects are few and far between. Even less are the times where they spend just a moment to converse, to wind down, to talk about their pasts. Mjolen helps when she can - because of course she does, being someone around most often who can help Fennorian with certain ingredients of a more sacred nature - and encourages them to take a second to be young, go on, she can handle this. It’s one of those times, after Laurent handed over a box of bones he’d collected from a deer on his trek back to Solitude, where Mjolen ushers the both of them away, making a comment about how they should let the old woman take care of things for them.

Fennorian notes that he's likely a bit older than she thinks, which gets him a pinch on the ear before she shoos him away. Mjolen laughs as they turn up the stairwell, and Laurent glances at Fennorian's face as he heads up.

"So," he says, adjusting his satchel - still smelling like dirt and plants from his errands for Fennorian, "Some quiet time. What do you want to do?"

Fennorian looks perplexed upon being asked.

"I… don't spend a lot of time in the city." He says, and Laurent knows that.

"We could go camping somewhere," he says, and they both know that that runs the risk of them being caught by someone unknowing of Fennorian's friendly status. "Or go through Svana's library?"

A better suggestion, they figure, and head up into the Blue Palace. Svana greets them with a wave from between a couple of Thanes vying for her attention, and they pass quickly through the halls of the palace and into the study and library on the quiet end of one of the wings. Nobody is in the library, not now, and so Fennorian busies himself with finding old history texts and legends of the area. Laurent, however, with little interest in such things, sits back at one of the long tables and pulls some paper and charcoal from his satchel and begins tracing delicate shapes. 

From one stroke comes the ear of a hare, details etched in with the sharper edge of the charcoal. The hare stares at him from the paper as it takes form. Below that, from memory, comes a bear's snout and nose, and then he switches to another section and starts a wolf, lips curled back, which he abandons to try his hand at a humanoid figure, vague and featureless until his hands absentmindedly begin filling in the edges with familiar looks until his eldest brother sits on the page, grinning from beneath a curled mustache. Laurent rolls his eyes and then rolls the paper, pulling a new parchment. The emptiness of the page feels overwhelming, as it always does. Fennorian settles in across from him with four large tomes, giving him a gentle smile before flipping open to the section he wants and begins reading.

Laurent purses his lips. Stares at the way Fennorian sits, so still, so focused, and takes that as his inspiration. It's easier with a frame of reference, he thinks, and Fennorian makes a good, steady image for him to copy. The page of Fennorian's book turns but his expression stays the same, focused and interested wholly on the texts before him.

So Laurent continues. He keeps filling in the various shades across his face, the gentle curl of his hair over his face. The dark areas under his eyes, like he hasn't slept in some time. 

He probably hasn't. Do vampires sleep, Laurent thinks, and vaguely recalls Fennorian at one point complaining about being tired. So maybe. 

He catches Fennorian glancing at him, pretending not to see what he's doing. Laurent laughs as he sees the way Fennorian steels his expression, cheeks coloring, and shakes his head.

"It's not natural anymore," Laurent chuckles, and waves him to join him on his side. 

"Sorry," Fennorian apologizes. He slides his book across the table and moves around the table to sit with Laurent, elbows touching as Laurent pulls older work from his bag.

"I never knew you did this," Fennorian admits, looking over a particularly detailed section of a ship. An older paper, smudged lightly, of his father's vessel back in Daggerfall.

"It's a hobby," Laurent says, shrugging. "I just like to copy what I see."

"You do it well." There's something like amusement in Fennorian's tone. "Is this one Lyris?"

He points out one paper with an unfinished figure, sitting with their back against a half-drawn tree. 

"Yes, but she got up before I could finish." 

“Sounds like her,” Fennorian says, and looks over the other papers that Laurent pulls free. Animals, scenes - Laurent says, quietly, that he prefers to draw living things, since it’s more of a challenge than something that sits still.

Fennorian raises a brow at that.

“Yet you were drawing me.” He teases, and Laurent looks at him with pursed lips and furrowed brows.

“Yes, but you’re… still…” He swallows. “Alive? Undead? Alive, you’re definitely alive.”

The laugh that gets him is worth the stumbling. Fennorian covers his mouth as he laughs, which is somehow sweeter than him simply laughing, and Laurent feels his face flush.

“You’re right, I suppose.” Fennorian says, and leans one elbow on the table, still covering his mouth. His opposite hand rests on the table.

Laurent chances it. Gently inches his hand closer to Fennorian’s, fingers gently reaching for his. He tries not to stare as he does it, looks away and feigns innocence - but all that earns him is a surprise as Fennorian turns his hand so it’s palm-up, their fingers gently resting together in the faintest impression of hand-holding either of them has experienced. 

Not sure where to look, Laurent finally glances at their hands and then up at Fennorian’s face, just to see him smiling. It makes his chest feel warm, just as it always has, the chances they’ve gotten before. But this time it feels like it’s different, like maybe, finally, this quiet moment is what they need to act on things. Laurent pulls himself closer into Fennorian’s space, and Fennorian drops the hand over his face, pulls their hands apart so he can turn his torso to face him. His hand rests, now, on Laurent’s upper arm, and Laurent finds that he has no idea what to do with his own hands.

He leans up, slightly. Fennorian tilts his chin, lips parted, and it feels like he's going to kiss him. Laurent catches the brief feeling of an exhale on his lips, and he thinks that if this is a dream please let it end after this, after he gets to kiss him. 

Laurent smiles. Fennorian laughs, another puff of air on his face, and just as they brush together -

"Fenn! Laurent!" Svana's voice calls out. They pull apart from each other, faces flushing, and scoot down the benches. 

"Over here," Fennorian shouts, and Laurent can hear the shakiness in his voice. 

He grabs at his hand. 

Fennorian smiles at him, again, and squeezes his fingers.

Svana finds them, settles in across from them, and apologizes for not greeting them properly earlier. Under the table, Laurent runs his thumb over Fennorian's hand, warming his cool skin ever so slightly. It is, quite possibly, one of the best things Fennorian has felt in some time.


End file.
